Learning To Fly In Story…

I wanted to wish those of you who are mothers, a Happy Mother’s Day! Those who are not moms, but, still have their moms in their lives-give praise to God while you are make a loving mother-daughter connection. May is also Short Story Month.

I recently reviewed Learning To Fly, a coming of age love story by Audrey Chen for Amazon.com. You can see the review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RBCPN8Z4U7JC , but this isn’t a review. It’s more about the art of “persuasion” in storytelling. Audrey Chen have mastered that art in her book!
It pulls the reader in with such subtle nuances and wham! you’ll soon find yourself wondering where the heck that emotion came from.

That is what we all strive for in our work as storytellers. Over the course of 2 months, I’ve read 6 powerful author voices in fiction and nonfiction, who left me in awe of their craftsmanship through the lens of their storytelling techniques. I’m learning as I read, review and host these wonderful, brave, esteemed folks who have kindly stepped onto the pages of clara54’s writers blog. My doors are opened to your creativity.

For those who are writing short stories or considering stories for competition ( I’ve completed 2 shorts for this month) here are a few sites to jump-start your creative juices…

Short Story Competition- Words Unlimited

Saturday Evening Post- Great American Fiction Contest

Mississippi Review

real fiction

When writing your stories, remember it’s our duty to please ourselves first, but, our readers have to care…

Happy Writing!

Guest Post For Mothers by Davis Aujourd’ hui

Image via Wikipedia

Here it comes again – Mother’s Day. So you’re ready to head for the store to buy a card or a gift. Why not give the gift that’s free. Give your mother your time and let her know you love her.

This may not be an easy task for everyone. Not all of us came from loving backgrounds. If this was the case for you, it was probably also the case for your mother as a child.

It’s important to remember that we all have done the best we could have with whatever has come our way. Your mother also did the best she could too. Remember, there are no blueprints for parenting. It’s all a matter of learning on the job. Some mothers are just slow learners. They are not to be blamed.

You’re an adult now. It’s time to grow up. That may mean facing some of your own demons. The important point to remember is being able to face the past with honesty, to forgive, and to let go.

The following ideas may help you to move in the right direction:

* You may need to talk to someone, including a professional, in order to discharge past pain. It’s also important to remember all of those loving qualities that your mother possesses. Remember the good times that you have had.

* Try to put your life into a balanced perspective. Life is more good than not. Allow the healing to flow into your life. The beautiful thing is that you can make it all good if you live in the present and commit to it being so.

* The present moment is all you have and here it comes. The question is what you can do to make it a memorable one? Cards and flowers are nice, but they don’t compare with a more personal connection. Make a phone call. Better yet, spend the day with her. Relive the happy times. Let her know you love her. The gift you give to her will multiply. It will also be a gift you give yourself.

 Clara54 welcomes this insight on mothers from a male perspective!

About the author:
Davis Aujourd’hui is creator of the highly- rated and hilarious Sister Mary Olga Fortitude- a  series of nine books centered on religious and social satire.
 He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York. He said it   enabled him to become a student of the human condition. While doing so, he developed the
 characters in his books in order to entertain a colleague of his using the gift of humor.  He is socially-minded and spirituality, he says is the most important ingredient for him in order to maintain a happy and successful life.  He lives in Upstate New York. For more information, visit: http://onealmediagroup.presskit247.com/DavisAujourdhui

Related articles

• A Mother’s Day Guest Post… (wisewoman2.com)
• Weekend Moment: Mother’s Day (powerofamoment.com)
• No Gift to Your Mother Can Ever Equal Her Gift to You- Life. Tell Her Today.. (123noticeboard.wordpress.com)

Mother’s Day Special-Article Blast-Off @ Clara54!

Hey guys, just as promised. I’m wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all of my loyal readers & new kids on the block, with some of my best articles ever written for the web, right here for you guys @ clara54! These gems are not your everyday postings, let me assure you. Some of my babies have garnered over 2000 views at last count, so sit back, relax and read some of my pearls…leave comments if you must and enjoy your Mother’s Day Article Blast-Off! PS. It’s also Nurses Week, so here’s to all that you do-my colleagues in the business of taking care of the business, “Florence Nightengales”…

Appreciating Our Daughters –http://bit.ly/arfLDT

The Year Of The Woman- http://www.blogher.com/year-woman

Catty Women In The Workplace – http://www.blogher.com//catty-women-workplace

Letting Go Of Women Drama-http://bit.ly/aYEgHT

Shine On!

Rise & Shine!

My mom used to wake us kids up come morning like this back in the day…hmmm, tomorrow is Mother’s Day , so happy mothers day! It’s saturday morn almost 8 am here in a Windy City Illinois…from the window in my writing nook, I ‘m looking out at a balmy sort of morning where a few trees are swaying in the winds as the sun stays smartly hidden.

I’m sort of awake-sort of not, but do have my cup of java near, so I’m ok. Sunday I plan to not sit here at all. Spend the day dipping & dallying out there with the rest of happy moms, living & loving life. Finally settled on a gift for my daughter. She’s waay more frugal than I when it comes to comparison shopping & saving monies. But, she is my only daughter so my gifts usually convey an unconditional love a mom has for her child… 

Twitter was down when I got home from my ‘day’ job , but rachel goodchild sent an email telling me to take a peek at her interview “advice” segment at their Canadian Sunrise TV spot over there . I enjoyed her take on Mother-in-laws and Workplace abuse. You can read more about it by following rgoodchild & c50something on Twitter.

Another email from a relationship columnist here in Illinois sent me a link to her latest article at JenniferGems, although I don’t agree with all of Jennifer Gems words of wisdom, this was another good read from her… Folks are using emails for hookups and community networking from all over the world & that’s as Martha Stewart says, “is a good thing.”

Happy Mothers Day All…

poet

I was doing a bit of web surfing today…as all normal humans are prone to do, when I came across an unexpected/odd feeling of surprise. I say odd because I’d all but forgotten about poetry I’d written in May of last year as a dare of sorts for one of those poetry sites we’re always hearing whispers about and no one seems to take seriously…

Anyhow, the reason I remember the month of May is because its the sunrise and sunset of my mother’s lifespan. I was truly missing her around Mothers Day, so I’d penned an impromptu ditty in her honor which I was sure she’d have loved…

Today, I find that it published on this particular poetry site& voted the poet’s choice…I’m surprised because I haven’t had the pleasure of being informed of such an honor, nor, have I received any aformentioned winning…so, I’m oddly pleased to see a tribute to my mama online for the world to see, yet, I’m perplexed that the editors haven’t bothered to inform me…the poet.